Curious on these three. I think Andersson has the opportunity to be the best all around defenseman, but what do we think about who will be our next great Power Play quarterback. Obviously that usually translates to points, but I think it will be between these three.

Upside is such a nebulous thing, it is really hard to predict. I too like Andersson as the best bet to make an impact on the Flames, though.

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From HFBoard oiler fan, in analyzing MacT's management:
O.K. there has been a lot of talk on whether or not MacTavish has actually done a good job for us, most fans on this board are very basic in their analysis and I feel would change their opinion entirely if the team was successful.

I look at Kylington as the guy with the highest ceiling as he has elite skating ability, can make really nice offensive plays and has such an underrated shot.

Andersson seems to have the highest floor. He isn't poor at anything (including his fitness now, though I am almost holding my breath for training camp this year). He is good in all zones, and though he isn't the best skater, he is by no stretch slow. He is also the most physical out of the three.

Fox is a guy that isn't the great skater that Kylington is, and he doesn't have Kylington's moves, but has Kylington's (unfortunate) propensity for making mistakes in his zone. What he does have in spades is vision. He can create on the rush or as a PP QB with really good passing ability. I am wary about his size - for every small, gifted offensive defencemen, there are a tonne that never make it.

To me, they are all different. I still rank Kylington and Andersson as the 1/2 (and in which order is dependent on how you view their games). Andersson is by far the closest to the NHL, Kylington by far has the highest ceiling, but if Fox manages to shore-up his defensive game then perhaps he can pass Kylington, who still seems to make too many errors in the defensive zone.

They are all unique and play the game very differently. Surprised that Hickey wasn't included in this discussion. I view him as the most complete defencemen, as he is also a fairly elite skater that moves the puck well, and likes to play a physical game. I don't know where to rank Hickey as compared to the other 3, but I imagine Hickey's floor is fairly high as I think his game translates the best at the moment.

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Kylington's skating is far and away the best of the three, that alone puts him on my list. His defense is getting better but he is still a work in progress. The biggest thing he has to cut of his game is his tendency to try to do too much, but at 20 years old with 2 years in the AHL already I think he will come around.

Andersson is the closest to making the jump. He is a good all around defenseman, I would say his skating is good. He is good on his edges and has good agility, but I would say he is average to below average speed wise.

Fox has great vision and good hockey sense, but that's about it. He's small not a great skater and he seems disinterested in the defensive zone. He has a long ways to go to being an NHL player. The vision and the point totals are awesome but I am not sure they will translate at the highest level.

I still think Hickey belongs in this conversation, he might not ever put up the point totals of the other 3, but his skating is elite, and his hockey sense and his defensive ability are very good. I would put him as a safer bet to be a top 4 defenseman at the NHL level than Fox.

I still think Hickey belongs in this conversation, he might not ever put up the point totals of the other 3, but his skating is elite, and his hockey sense and his defensive ability are very good. I would put him as a safer bet to be a top 4 defenseman at the NHL level than Fox.

I've sort of written Hickey off in the sense that I doubt he'll sign with us. We'll see if he is included in any coming trades.

I like the Fox and Ryan Ellis comparison. I see some Bouwmeester in Kylington (which is a good thing, I don't understand the JBo hate) and Andersson reminds me of Jared Spurgeon. Those 3 dmen are very solid 2nd pairing players, and that's what would be perfect for our 3 prospects. I'm also going to include Brandon Hickey, in which I see some Nick Leddy in. My guess is all of these guys will be good NHLers, and when Gio is gone it's safe to expect these guys to be in our top 6 along with Brodie and Hamilton.

I do think there is legitimate reason to worry about Hickey at this point. It isn't just that he decided to go back for his senior year, but Treliving actually came out in the media saying that the Flames were going to sign Hickey and 'expect news on it soon'. Soon turned into a while, and suddenly you see Hickey declaring he is returning for his senior year.

It is a concerning situation. Add to it that Treliving (AFAIK, maybe I missed it) hasn't come out and stated why Hickey is returning to college for his senior season after he stated that the Flames were intent on signing him this year. He came out and told the media why Jankowski was going back.

With that being said, we simply don't know as fans why Hickey is going back. A lot can change in a year as well. Going back to school isn't a declaration about an intent to explore free agency either. Concerning? Yes. However, it is still not a strong enough reason to stop counting Hickey as one of the prospects. He is (IMO) a most excellent prospect. Defencemen that can skate like he does and that show this much versatility and can play in all situations are valuable assets.

Concerning, but no reason for despair.

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Andersson is a smart hockey player and adds some toughness to boot. Kylington is an amazing skater and has tremendous offensive ability, but he leaves something to be desired with his defensive play. Hopefully maturing and coaching will help that.

Andersson is the more complete player, and let's face it, when you are selecting d-men, defense comes first.